- As the leaves fall from the trees, it signals the coming of the holidays. Here in the US, the first holiday, which seems to be getting bigger every year is Halloween. But you know the routine; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (and other cultural holidays that fall toward end of year), and finally New Year’s to bring in the new calendar year. I would be the last to suggest that the holidays are primarily about career – they certainly are not. However, there most likely will be opportunities to do some career management that can be intertwined with the holidays. Here are some suggestions on how to do this:
1) Look Sharp: The holidays are the most social time of the year. You will see, and be seen. Is your suit looking a bit outdated? Time for a couple new ties? Probably right? In addition to being the most social time of the year, luckily clothing sales tend to fall around this time of year. This is the time to get one new quality wool or wool-blend suit. And remember ties have a limited shelf life – so most likely it is time for a couple new ties to go with the new suit. You have worked hard all year, and this is not a frivolous purchase – so go for it. Make sure you have the suit tailored properly before the holiday bashes. If the money is not there – have no fear – most suits can be brought in, or brought out, saving cost of a new suit. Add a couple new ties to the re-tailored suit, plus a clean and press and you are in good shape for the holiday affairs.
2) Job Updates: During the holidays you will have opportunities to interact with family, friends, and yes, other business people. The topic of work is bound to come up. What things can you talk about when asked “how is your job going?” A good answer would be “we are working on a couple exciting projects that are really going to benefit our customers”. Consider how flat the typical response of “same stuff, different day” sounds. Another god response might be “things are pretty excited as we are re-aligning some departments – we think that will provide better service, and products to our clients”. There is nothing wrong with making customers, or clients the focal point of your comments. You will communicate that your customers, and clients are important to your business. In short, you communicate you give a damn. This can be a chance to talk about how you are growing your skills or learning new ones. Mention new responsibilities, or a new class you are taking. The fact is we can never predict when we might be looking for a new job. By thinking about what you want to communicate at holiday get togethers, you can tell others important things about you, and how you approach your job. You just might be pining these same people if you want to, or are forced to look for your next job. My main point here is – give some thought to what you want to say at holiday affairs. A thoughtful response can communicate positives about you, and the conversation will tend to flow better. A response of “same ole same ole” is an auto-fail.
3) Thoughtful Questions: This is the other side of the coin to my first point. Just as you want to have thoughtful responses to seeming small talk, you want to think of thoughtful questions. From a career perspective ask others in business how their business is going this year. Some template questions in this area are: “Did your company meet their goals this year?” “Is your company (or business) growing?” “Is our company hiring right now?” All of these questions are important for career networking. The answers may let you help others you know, or even you down the road. Here is a tip for holding conversations when you don’t know the other person well: ask questions around Family, Job, and Hobbies. Questions like “do you have family in town?” “What type of work do you do?” and “what do you do in your spare time?” can drive conversations with strangers, or near strangers, and in the process, you learn more about the person you are talking with. So, no need to wonder what to talk about, think Family, Job, and Hobbies – you will not be at a loss for topics.
4) Strengthen Relationships: The holidays are THE time to revisit, and strengthen relationships. Sharing is key. Share your experiences, your lessons learned from the last year. By doing this you bring relationships closer to you. You build stronger relationships. Also, make the effort to share plans, and time together in the months after the holidays. This is also a great time to re-commit to people and to your relationships. Many, and strong relationships can only help your career goals, and as a plus you find new friends, and revisit, and strengthen old friendships.
Keep priorities straight. As always the main focus of the holidays is celebrating family, and friends. But family, friends, and business partners do want to know how things are going – including your career. And in addition, THEY want to be asked how they are doing. By looking sharp, and spending some time considering what message we want to deliver, and being thoughtful in our questions, we can show that we care about others, and about ourselves as well. Our biggest consideration is to form, and strengthen relationships. These relationships will enrich us – both on a personal, intimate level, and may well enrich us from a career perspective as well. Happy Holidays!
Author: Brian Kail, MBA, CPC, is a professional Career and Business Coach. For more information see AscendProCoach.com
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